ANZAC
remembered - Staffordshire march on!
On
Sunday 30th April (nearest Sunday to the 25th April) the
annual ANZAC Day Commemorative Service was held at The
Commonwealth & German War Cemetery Cannock Chase [1]
Staffordshire. It commenced with the march on of the
standards lead by the four North Royal British
Legion and Royal British Legion Women's Section County Standards.
Despite the
weather the Commemorative Service was well attended.
Alan Batham
former West Midlands Regional Organiser and National
Manager of
Royal British Legion Clubs read the first reading, and
after the
short service Last Post and Reveille, were
sounded. Representing Her Majesty the Queen,
The Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire, and many local
dignataries,
Major
Ian Finlayson
, the
Australian High Commission representative and
David Symons
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Director of
United Kingdom Area,
laid
wreaths while a lone piper played the lament "Flowers of
the Forest". Ken Compton the County Chairman Royal
British Legion in North Staffordshire laid a wreath on
behalf of the County.
Martyn Tighe National Trustee
(West Midlands Region) and Bill Parkin National Trustee
(for the East Midlands Region elect) were among the
guests.
About
150 standards from many ex-service and veteran
organisations from all over the country as well as The
Royal British Legion were paraded .
The ANZAC
Day Commemorative Service on Cannock Chase is the
largest service held outside Australia and New Zealand
was
organised
[2] by
South Staffordshire Royal British Legion.
ANZAC
Day - 25 April - is probably Australia's and New
Zealand's most important national occasion [3]. It marks
the anniversary of the first major military action
fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the
First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New
Zealand Army Corps.
For further pictures taken at the service click here to see the
photo gallery
References:
1.The
Commonwealth & German War Cemetery Cannock Chase
Staffordshire
http://home.arcor.de/kriegsgefangene/cemetery/cannock_chase.html
2.Military History Society West Midlands (Stafford)
Annual ANZAC Service
http://mil.hist.soc.w.mids.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/
3.
What is ANZAC
Day? A Royal British Legion in North
Staffordshire publication in the history series.
4.
Cannock Chase Military History
Map
Further reading:
Link
Six VC’s before breakfast
"Together with the attack
from the River Clyde, probably the most enduring image
of the initial assault is Lancashire Landing in which
action the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers won 'six VC's before
breakfast' by carrying the enemy trenches despite the
intense enemy fire."
Article
and photographs Bob Rankin Newcastle, Chesterton &
District Branch
May 2006 |
